What is a Quipu
Quipu (also spelled khipu) are recording devices fashioned from strings historically used by a number of cultures in the region of Andean South America.
The word quipu comes from the Quechua word for “knot.” A quipu usually consisted of colored, spun and plied thread or strings from llama hair. Historic documents indicate that quipus were used for record keeping and sending messages by runner throughout the empire.
To read a quipu, you can:
Start at the top primary cord and read the pendant cords to the bottom.
Numbers are read outward, with the highest powers of 10 closest to the top cord.
The ones' place is at the end of the pendant cords.
The knots' arrangement on the string shows its numeric value.
Long knots represent a number between two and nine, depending on how many times it is wrapped. Single knots represent tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands. To write a zero, no knot is tied.